This invention relates to the automatic testing of keyboards by a keyboard testing mechanism. In particular, it relates to a conveyor system for transporting keyboards to the testing mechanism and for thereafter discharging the keyboards.
Testing of keyboards by a keyboard test mechanism manually and separably is known by mechanisms described in the applicant's co-pending patent application, U.S. Ser. No. 310,850, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,833, and U.S. Ser. No. 556,836 issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,000, the contents whereof are incorporated by reference herein.
In the test mechanisms of the earlier patent applications keyboards are brought manually into position with the keyboard test mechanism and thereafter the keyboard test mechanism undergoes a programmed set of steps whereby the keys of the board are tested for effective operation. As this is a manual operation it is relatively time-consuming to bring each keyboard in proper relationship with the test mechanism, and thereafter to disconnect manually the keyboard from the keyboard test mechanism and remove it either to a passed location or a reject location.
There is accordingly a need to provide a keyboard test mechanism wherein the testing operation can be automated for high-speed testing. In the applicant's knowledge there exists no system to fulfill this requirement.
It is furthermore desirable to provide in an automated system a method of smoothly and effectively separating keyboards in two directions, namely, between a passed direction and a reject direction. Given that keyboards are relatively sensitive mechanisms this transfer has to be effected smoothly, and once again the Applicant is unaware of any conveyance system for keyboards or other articles wherein conveyed articles can be branched in two directions, for instance in a right-angular relationship, smoothly and effectively.